diff --git a/include/pybind11/detail/common.h b/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
index 4b2b08499..a291ecf6c 100644
--- a/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
+++ b/include/pybind11/detail/common.h
@@ -211,6 +211,31 @@ extern "C" {
 #define PYBIND11_TOSTRING(x) PYBIND11_STRINGIFY(x)
 #define PYBIND11_CONCAT(first, second) first##second
 
+#define PYBIND11_CHECK_PYTHON_VERSION \
+    {                                                                          \
+        const char *compiled_ver = PYBIND11_TOSTRING(PY_MAJOR_VERSION)         \
+            "." PYBIND11_TOSTRING(PY_MINOR_VERSION);                           \
+        const char *runtime_ver = Py_GetVersion();                             \
+        size_t len = std::strlen(compiled_ver);                                \
+        if (std::strncmp(runtime_ver, compiled_ver, len) != 0                  \
+                || (runtime_ver[len] >= '0' && runtime_ver[len] <= '9')) {     \
+            PyErr_Format(PyExc_ImportError,                                    \
+                "Python version mismatch: module was compiled for Python %s, " \
+                "but the interpreter version is incompatible: %s.",            \
+                compiled_ver, runtime_ver);                                    \
+            return nullptr;                                                    \
+        }                                                                      \
+    }
+
+#define PYBIND11_CATCH_INIT_EXCEPTIONS \
+        catch (pybind11::error_already_set &e) {                               \
+            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ImportError, e.what());                      \
+            return nullptr;                                                    \
+        } catch (const std::exception &e) {                                    \
+            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ImportError, e.what());                      \
+            return nullptr;                                                    \
+        }                                                                      \
+
 /** \rst
     ***Deprecated in favor of PYBIND11_MODULE***
 
@@ -230,27 +255,10 @@ extern "C" {
     PYBIND11_DEPRECATED("PYBIND11_PLUGIN is deprecated, use PYBIND11_MODULE")  \
     static PyObject *pybind11_init();                                          \
     PYBIND11_PLUGIN_IMPL(name) {                                               \
-        int major, minor;                                                      \
-        if (sscanf(Py_GetVersion(), "%i.%i", &major, &minor) != 2) {           \
-            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ImportError, "Can't parse Python version."); \
-            return nullptr;                                                    \
-        } else if (major != PY_MAJOR_VERSION || minor != PY_MINOR_VERSION) {   \
-            PyErr_Format(PyExc_ImportError,                                    \
-                         "Python version mismatch: module was compiled for "   \
-                         "version %i.%i, while the interpreter is running "    \
-                         "version %i.%i.", PY_MAJOR_VERSION, PY_MINOR_VERSION, \
-                         major, minor);                                        \
-            return nullptr;                                                    \
-        }                                                                      \
+        PYBIND11_CHECK_PYTHON_VERSION                                          \
         try {                                                                  \
             return pybind11_init();                                            \
-        } catch (pybind11::error_already_set &e) {                             \
-            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ImportError, e.what());                      \
-            return nullptr;                                                    \
-        } catch (const std::exception &e) {                                    \
-            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ImportError, e.what());                      \
-            return nullptr;                                                    \
-        }                                                                      \
+        } PYBIND11_CATCH_INIT_EXCEPTIONS                                       \
     }                                                                          \
     PyObject *pybind11_init()
 
@@ -274,29 +282,12 @@ extern "C" {
 #define PYBIND11_MODULE(name, variable)                                        \
     static void PYBIND11_CONCAT(pybind11_init_, name)(pybind11::module &);     \
     PYBIND11_PLUGIN_IMPL(name) {                                               \
-        int major, minor;                                                      \
-        if (sscanf(Py_GetVersion(), "%i.%i", &major, &minor) != 2) {           \
-            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ImportError, "Can't parse Python version."); \
-            return nullptr;                                                    \
-        } else if (major != PY_MAJOR_VERSION || minor != PY_MINOR_VERSION) {   \
-            PyErr_Format(PyExc_ImportError,                                    \
-                         "Python version mismatch: module was compiled for "   \
-                         "version %i.%i, while the interpreter is running "    \
-                         "version %i.%i.", PY_MAJOR_VERSION, PY_MINOR_VERSION, \
-                         major, minor);                                        \
-            return nullptr;                                                    \
-        }                                                                      \
+        PYBIND11_CHECK_PYTHON_VERSION                                          \
         auto m = pybind11::module(PYBIND11_TOSTRING(name));                    \
         try {                                                                  \
             PYBIND11_CONCAT(pybind11_init_, name)(m);                          \
             return m.ptr();                                                    \
-        } catch (pybind11::error_already_set &e) {                             \
-            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ImportError, e.what());                      \
-            return nullptr;                                                    \
-        } catch (const std::exception &e) {                                    \
-            PyErr_SetString(PyExc_ImportError, e.what());                      \
-            return nullptr;                                                    \
-        }                                                                      \
+        } PYBIND11_CATCH_INIT_EXCEPTIONS                                       \
     }                                                                          \
     void PYBIND11_CONCAT(pybind11_init_, name)(pybind11::module &variable)